POLSC313: US Intelligence and National Security

Course Syllabus for "POLSC313: US Intelligence and National Security"

The study of United States intelligence and national security operations
is an analysis of how the various branches of government work together
and, as a check upon each other, how they work to protect and promote
American interests at home and abroad. The purpose of this course is to
provide you with an overview of national security policy analysis and
the United States intelligence community. As you progress through this
course, you will learn about strategic thought and strategy formulation,
develop the ability to assess national security issues and threats, and
cultivate an understanding of the political and military institutions
involved in the formulation and execution of national security policy
through diplomacy, intelligence operations, and military force. This
course will examine problems and issues regarding United States national
security policy. A large section of the course will deal with the major
actors and institutions involved in making and creating national
security policy and the intelligence community. National security is the
most critical role of your government, without which, all other policies
could not be created. You will begin this course with an overview of
national security interests in unit 1. In units 2 - 4, you will learn
about the roles and powers possessed by each actor in the United States
national security process, including responsibilities of the president,
the executive branch, Congress, the military, and intelligence agencies.
In unit 5, you will review the policymaking process and will consider
policy analysis. In units 6 - 9, you will study specific types of
national security issues and strategies that the government has used to
solve these problems. Some problems include the threat of nuclear,
chemical, and biological warfare; the impact of regional, sectarian, and
tribal conflicts on national security interests; the threat of
terrorism; and the impact of economic strife and scarce resources.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

describe and identify nationalsecurity interests that have been
applied during various periods of US history;

identify key agencies within the US Intelligence community and their
respective missions;

describe the roles and powers of various actors and organizations in
the policymaking and implementation process within the field of US
national security;

analyze the various political, social, economic, military, legal,
and ethical goals and values that form the basis of policymaking
decisions;

apply various decision frameworks used by policymakers and leaders
in developing and executing national security policies; and

explain the context, evolution, risks, and linkages of national
security issues, alternatives, and solutions.

Course Requirements

In order to take this course, you must:

√ have access to a computer;

√ have continuous broadband Internet access;

√ have the ability/permission to install plug-ins or software (e.g.,
Adobe Reader or Flash);

√ have the ability to download and save files and documents to a
computer;

√ have the ability to open Microsoft files and documents (.doc,
.ppt, .xls, etc.);

You will be using US Army War College Guide to National Security
Policy and Strategy, 2nd edition throughout the course, so
it may be useful to download the text now and save it to your desktop
for easy access.

Requirements for Completion: In order to complete this course, you
will need to work through each unit and all of its assigned materials.
You will also need to complete the activities in each unit as well as
the final exam.
Note that you will only receive an official grade on your final exam.
However, in order to adequately prepare for this exam, you need to work
through all of the resources and activities in the course.

In order to pass this course, you will need to earn a 70% or higher on
the final exam. Your score on the exam will be tabulated as soon as you
complete it. If you do not pass the exam, you may take it again.

Time Commitment: This course should take you a total of 152.5
hours to complete. This course also includes approximately 8 hours of
optional content. Each unit includes a time advisory that lists the
amount of time you are expected to spend on each subunit. These time
advisory sections should help you plan your time accordingly. It may be
useful to take a look at these time advisories, to determine how much
time you have over the next few weeks to complete each unit, and then to
set goals for yourself. For example, unit 1 should take you 19
hours. Perhaps you can sit down with your calendar and decide to
complete subunit 1.1 (a total of 6.5 hours) on Monday and Tuesday
nights; subunit 1.2 (a total of 4 hours) on Wednesday night; and so
forth.

Tips/Suggestions: Issues of national security can be quite complex;
solutions to problems will often involve considerations beyond military
defense. History, culture, religion, trade, economics, and relationships
with other countries must be taken into consideration in order to
implement successful military and homeland security operations. Be
mindful of these factors as you progress through the course, and reflect
on how these factors have played roles in both successful and
unsuccessful national security strategies and military operations of the
United States.

Table of Contents: You can find the course's units at the links below.